Looking Forward to Elective Week Rotation!

By Joyce L. Hornick, Dietetic Intern

I can’t believe I am almost at the end of my internship and that means elective week is just around the corner! The elective week is an opportunity for interns to explore any realm of dietetics they want. Some interns explore a new opportunity they didn’t get to experience during the internship, such as private practice. Since some rotations are only a week long, some interns return for a more in-depth experience. Some interns choose an elective where they may have a direct connection for a job opening or to expand their networking. The possibilities to explore are vast. 

I decided that I wanted to return to where I first started the internship, Moveable Feast, a nonprofit organization that provides meals and groceries to people with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and blood cancers. Even though it was a 3 week rotation, I wanted to go back to learn more. When I was there in September, I got the opportunity to counsel patients via telephone interviews. I was very uneasy at this since I had only done “counseling” in the classroom in role play simulations. Most interns go to Moveable Feast after they’ve done their clinical rotation, so they’ve been able to hone their assessment skills over 10-12 weeks. I hope to do some phone interviews again to see how I’ve grown in my ability to perform assessments. I know I will be more confident, will be able to take what the client tells me to quickly make suggestions for change, and help set goals to help maintain or improve their nutrition status. 

I am also looking forward to new learning opportunities available at Moveable Feast. Back in September, due to funding constraints, Moveable Feast wasn’t doing home visits. Going back now will give me the opportunity to perform this valuable nutrition evaluation for their clients. Grocery deliveries were also very limited in September, so I will also get the opportunity to assist drivers on home grocery and meal deliveries this time. Other plans are to visit patients while they are making their HIV/AIDS outpatient visits at Park West Clinic, helping AIRS clients with a grocery store tour, and hopefully, getting to work in the Moveable Feast community garden!

My Volunteer Philosophy

By Sasha B. Bard, MSN (Dietetic Intern)

I’ve always had a philosophy that it is good to live in a place where other people vacation. Washington, DC, for example, is host to visitors from all over the world, every single day. This is one reason that I feel fortunate to call it home.

1st philosophy: It is good to live in a place where other people vacation.

I recently started thinking that a similar principle could be applied to employment and I developed a new philosophy.

2nd philosophy: It is good to work at a place where other people volunteer.

The idea came to me while completing my community rotation at Food & Friends. Food & Friends is a non-profit organization that provides nutritional counseling and delivers meals and groceries to men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses. Food & Friends was started in 1988 with the support of 20 volunteers. In 2011, they estimated to have 11,000 volunteers.

I was amazed by the number of volunteers that I saw filter through the facility during my two-week rotation. In addition to the long-term volunteers, some who have been working at Food & Friends for more than two decades, groups of volunteers from all over the country came to lend a hand. This month is an especially busy season for volunteers because college students come to DC on “alternative spring break” trips. I had the privilege of working with students from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee during my last week at Food & Friends. Everyone came with a smile and a good attitude. And thanks to many hands, the work was a breeze.

One of the staff members at Food & Friends told me that groups of volunteers schedule to come help up to a year in advance. Unfortunately, they even have to turn away volunteers at times because there is such high interest. This is what prompted my new theory; it must be great to work at a place where so many people eagerly work for free. How will this new theory affect my job search? We shall see! The end of the internship is fast approaching...

Fun Times with FSNE!

Unfortunately, this is my final week with the Food Supplement Nutrition Education (FSNE)Program. I describe it as “unfortunate” because FSNE has been one of my favorite rotations so far. I’ve enjoyed it so much because of the opportunity to work with inner city elementary and middle school children. Although working with kids presents unique challenges, like controlling a rowdy classroom on their first day back from Christmas break, I thrive off of working around kids and think it’s extremely important to teach them about health and nutrition early on.

The fabulous FSNE staff I had the pleasure of working with do a wonderful job at teaching nutrition education to the kids. Each educator is enthusiastic and engages the students in fun, interactive, and hands-on activities. Last week for a lesson with a second grade class I got to dress up like a chef and make an apple walnut salad with spring onions, dried cranberries, and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The second graders cut their own apple and onion pieces and assembled their salad themselves. While they were having fun making the salad my partner, Rachel, and I gave a nutrition lesson based on a book they read in class called “A Feast for 10”. Our lesson and the book focused on eating family meals together. The children absolutely loved making the salad with their classmates and although none of them had ever tried this kind of salad before, everyone tried it and most said they liked it! I also got to try the salad with the kids and must say it was delicious!

Me in my chef's outfit holding children's books about nutrition.

During this rotation I have had a blast teaching kids about nutrition, and this week I’m looking forward to visiting a middle school and doing health, nutrition, and exercise activities with several physical education classes. Rumor has it we’ll be doing a food group relay race among other fun activities. I’m excited for it and I know the kids are too!